Desert Grande Triathlon!

My triathlon morning started around 2:23 a.m. when I couldn't continue sleeping! Pilates stretching got me back to sleep, but not for much longer. We woke the girls up just before 6:00 and were out the door by 6:50. The runner's downshift didn't happen until we turned the corner in to the parking lot of Central Arizona College in Casa Grande.

The first swimmer jumped in at 7:30 a.m., which is about when we arrived. By the time I started heading to the registration, the first swimmers were already getting on their bikes (including Sione Fa from The Biggest Loser . . . he smiled at me).

I hurried to the registration, hurried to get my bike to the appropriate place, and hurried around to the entrance of the pool . . . and then waited . . . and waited . . . and wondered why I hurried so much. I kept myself to the back of the line of swimmers, thinking that I was going to be the slowest, even though I was sure I was seeing people already in the pool that I could have totally passed.

I got to have a chance to be totally nervous with my friend Myra for a while until it was finally our turn to get in the water. Swimmers started every 10 seconds, which made for some serious congestion around lap 2. I hadn't found my pilates breath until lap 5 and that's when it started to go smoothly.

I had planned on taking it easy during the swim and saving the strength in my legs for the bike and run. So I did the WHOLE swim on my back.

Here's a little shout-out to my good friend Myra who trained for the triathlon with me and motivated me to jump in the pool, work harder and run faster! Myra's triathlon story is on her blog now, so if you have access, check it out on my friend links!

I wasn't used to sharing a lane or changing lanes, which was semi-difficult because I was afraid of smacking someone on the head if I did my full range of motion. I think I tried to smack that 10-year-old that was passing me. The swim was good. According to the website results, I finished in 14 minutes 55 seconds.

When I practice at the gym, I usually sit in the pool for a minute so I can get my land legs back, but I didn't have time during the race! I just hopped out (actually, hopping out wasn't that easy) and tried to jog over to the bikes and I almost fell over!

My bike was just in the tennis courts next to the pool and all my bike stuff was next to it. So I strapped it all on and pushed my bike to the start and went on my way.

I had only practiced a few times on my actual bike, but I didn't know it would be such a HUGE difference! The bike was SO HARD! I was pushing as hard as I could, but felt like if I stopped pedaling that my bike would stop too! I knew that there was only 44 minutes of songs on my iPod, so when all of the songs were done I knew that I was taking a long time! What takes me 35-40 minutes to do in the gym, took me about 66 minutes on my own bike! My rear was on FIRE! (website time 1 hour 6 minutes 35 seconds . . . this includes transition time)

On the last corner, the guy telling us to turn said, "Good job, only 4 more miles!" I almost stepped off my bike and slapped him! Surely he didn't just say FOUR MILES because I am sure I've already gone 20! I got emotional when I started up the drive towards the college again and saw my family and the signs, but decided to keep calm because I still had 3 miles of running left!

My cousin Christine (head cheerleader) and my sister Natalie (photographer) were working harder than I was!

I had to juice up before the run, though had I known about the water shortage on the run I would have brought my water bottle!

Teener ran with me to the edge of the farm where the rest of the 5K was (also, thanks Teener for helping me figure out the volume on my iPod, my boobs kept turning it down until I remembered I had a pocket on the back of my stretchy pants). The arrows marking the run had been almost completely trampled by the time I got around to running it. There weren't any inclines to speak of, but the soft dirt made it difficult to take a confident step. AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE WATER STATION!!!!

I was completely alone the whole time. I tried to push myself to run longer stretches of time, but I also needed water! I'm glad I had Beyoncé and Rihanna to keep me going, plus the thought of finishing within the hour! It looks like I'm walking in the picture, but believe me I was running as fast as I could at that time.

About 1/2 mile before the finish, I saw Teener and Natalie in the distance with their incredible signs and I started to get emotional again. Weep later, I kept telling myself.

I was so happy to finally see Elliot at the end of the FINISH line. Stella greeted me first and I still had enough energy to pick her up, which made me think that I could have pushed myself harder, even though I just ran the 5K 3 minutes faster than my other 5K in October! (official run time 40 minutes 54 seconds . . . overall time 2 hours 2 minutes and 28 seconds)

So then I cried. It was more of a cry-laugh than a hysterical cry, but I felt so proud of myself for finishing!

Then I reviewed quickly in my head all of the training that I did to do this and all the weight I've shed and then the cry-laugh became a little more hysterical and I just wanted Stella to keep her monkey hold and Elliot to keep hugging me and telling me I was finished!

I think he's proud of me too. I love him.

My cheerleading crowd! Nat and Teener stayed up very late making those signs for me and they were the only signs at the triathlon! I love my cheerleaders! This sign says "GO! FIGHT! SWIM! . . . and then bike . . . and run too . . . uhhh, GOOD LUCK!" The other side says "Not even PEPTO can slow your RUNS!" I love them! Thanks Teener and Nat! I can just see you guys laughing at yourselves all night making them!

Since I finished at the end and all of the crowds were gone, my t-shirt was gone too. So they threw an XL at me and gave me my medal still in it's plastic. But I just did a triathlon, so I didn't care.

The other half of my cheerleaders! Elliot's nieces Anabelle and Claire spent the night, so they got to see my race as well. Anabelle gave me a big hug afterwards!

Of course there are things that I would have done differently (i.e., started the swim earlier, trained biking and running outside), but I don't have regrets in doing this triathlon. I trained hard. I made a goal and I accomplished it. My friend compared the triathlon to childbirth and said that the latter was easier. Maybe it's been too long for me, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I am 100% serious when I say that I will definitely do BOTH again! I am a TRI-ATHLETE!